How to Grow Cover crops

Eight reasons to grow cover crops:

1.  To protect bare soil from being washed or blown away.

2.  To keep nutrients from being washed out of your soil and to add even more when using our nitrogen fixers.

3.  To loosen the soil deeper than you can or would want to dig.

4.  To increase organic matter, improve soil structure, drainage, and aeration.

5.  To control weeds.

6.  To help beneficial insects and microorganisms overwinter.

7.  To increase yields and break pest and disease cycles.

8.  To grow your own mulch and compost material. 

Till in or cut cover crops before the seed heads mature.  If you till in the whole plants, allow 2-4 weeks for them to decompose, as raw biomass ties up soil nutrients to the detriment of newly planted seedlings.

Cover crops provide the primary benefit of preparing your soil for further vegetable cropping.  If you choose to allow your cover crops to go to seed so you can harvest the grain, be aware that their root mass can be extensive and difficult to turn over.  That said, your own oats, rye or buckwheat straight from your own garden are really a treat and can aid the determined 100 Mile dieter.